| Author | Message | ||
     Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 2035 Registered: 05-2005 |
Was anyone else there on Friday night at The Enmore? I thought it was superb. Ed Kuepper played Honey Steel's Gold in its entirety and Died Pretty played Doughboy Hollow in its entirety. Kuepper was first on so he just played HSG, no encore. It was incredible. It's one of my favourite ever albums and the show did it great justice. He did not play with the orignal band that recorded it though. The amazing Jeffrey Wegener rather than the equally brilliant Mark Dawson was on drums and Peter Oxley rather than Sir Alfonso played bass. It may have been Chris Abrahams, who played on the original album, on keyboards though. They were very tight from the get go, but by the time they got to track three, Friday's Blue Cheer/Libertines Of Oxley, they were locked in. As that's the end of the old side one, Ed joked that they'd take a break as that's what people who had the vinyl version would have done! The title track begins side two and it was monumental here. I've played this album so many times over the years but never before noticed what a bluesy, almost motorik riff Honey Steel's Gold has. The whole thing was superb. I'm far less familiar with Doughboy Hollow or anything by Died Pretty. In fact, I heard Doughboy Hollow for the first time just a few weeks ago. I really liked it and I like it even more having seen it live. Ron Peno is a great and mesmerising frontman and Brett Myers is a great guitarist. It was very loud. Even with Blue Tack protecting me it felt like my ears were bleeding at one point! The album, with the full original line-up, sounded terrific. The played a lot of songs over three encores after that. I'm told it was mostly their earlier material. I want to check out more of their music having seen this show, and there's no better commendation than that of a live gig. Oh, Lindy Morrison was there too. It's wonderful to see musicians supporting each other by going to these gigs. At this gig I met more people I know than I ever have before at a show in Sydney. It reminded me of going to a gig in Dublin in 90s / early 00s where I'd know loads of people. | ||
| Richard Martin Member Username: Ems Post Number: 3 Registered: 01-2008 |
It was Alister Spence on keys - Chris Abrahams was playing with the Necks across town at the MCA. A classy substitution. Also, I believe "Sir Alfonso" is one the many pseudonyms Edmund employs when overdubbing bass on his own records - "Artie Sledge" being another. Could be wrong, though. It was a superb evening and I would love to obtain a recording of the HSG set - I think some of the live renditions on friday night actually transcended the recorded originals. | ||
| Geoff Holmes Member Username: Geoff Post Number: 330 Registered: 05-2005 |
Honey Steals Gold was always one of those albums that friends had but I never got around to buying. I used to be a HUGE Died Pretty fan - I even went to a gig at Rooty Hill(or somewhere similar) on a Wednesday night when I first hit Sydney. Doughboy Hollow, for me, is one of those albums that is just a little too obvious, especially if you had heard(and followed) them from near the beginning. If you're exploring Died Pretty, I'd start with "Pre Diety" which is all of the early singles and B sides, including Mirror Blues (without having to flip the single over for part 2!) and the gorgeous "Next to Nothing" ep. The first album has got some stunning songs on it but I really think the second album,"Lost" is the pick. After "Doughboy" came "Trace" which was a bit too much like it's predecessor and I gave up on them. The last album or two supposedly go a bit electronic in a late eighties kind of way. Peno is a real performer - they were always great live! He was always moody like Jim Morrison but with the epileptic hand movements of an early Joe Cocker! I was tempted to see the Necks. Was it good too? | ||
| Donat Member Username: Donat Post Number: 283 Registered: 11-2004 |
Sir Alfonso and Artie Sledge are real people. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 2039 Registered: 05-2005 |
Thanks Richard, I though he said Spence alright but could find nothing when I googled it! | ||
| Richard Martin Member Username: Ems Post Number: 5 Registered: 01-2008 |
No worries Pádraig - I have seen Spence play with Clarion Fracture Zone before, but asa result of the HSG show am now extra-inspired to check out his own trio. Donat, thanks for helping preserve my state of happy uncertainty regarding the identity of Messrs Sledge and Alfonso. As someone with an inside line into The Brisbane Sound can you give us any info on this "Ed Kuepper presents the Ascension Academy" show in March? Particularly wondering which other musicians might be involved (if any), and if there's any chance of the work being presented elsewhere - I'm toying with the idea of heading up there for the weekend and would appreciate any info that might allow me to make a sensible decision. Or at least as sensible a decision is possible when one is contemplating traveling interstate for a gig, anyway. | ||
| Donat Member Username: Donat Post Number: 284 Registered: 11-2004 |
Think of a long instrumental piece that encompasses his 30+ years as a professional musician with a band featuring some of the people he's played with in that time-span. Not sure what else I can say. I may have already said too much (hope not). See you at the bar! | ||
| Mark Leydon Member Username: Mark_leydon Post Number: 154 Registered: 05-2005 |
Hi Pádraig. I was at the gig and it was great. I personally enjoyed the Ed Kuepper first half more than Died Pretty. Ed and old Laughing Clowns side-kick Jeffery Wegener work up such a wonderful head of steam. The Honey Steels Gold songs sounded generally wonderful live and hadn't dated a bit. Died Pretty put on a good show - Ron Peno is a compelling performer. But I thought some of the Doughboy Hollow stuff sounded dated - mainly due to the washes of 80s style keyboards in some songs I think. But they pulled it together in the encore section - particularly with some of their later hits like Harness Up. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 2045 Registered: 05-2005 |
I much preferred the Ed half too Mark, as I knew I would, but really enjoyed Died Pretty also. | ||
| Donat Member Username: Donat Post Number: 285 Registered: 11-2004 |
I too thought that Died Pretty sounded quite dated when they played Doughboy Hollow. Had they done Free Dirt, it would've been timeless a la Honey Steel's Gold. Nevertheless, had Died Pretty played that record, they probably would've played to 1/2 the amount of people. Ditto if Ed did something like Rooms Of The Magificent. It's like that terrible Kinks record title, "give the people what they want." | ||
| joe Member Username: Dogmansuede Post Number: 379 Registered: 07-2006 |
i'm seeing the sonics on thursday night supported by scientists. i'm thinking of going wednesday too....utterly superfluous? |